1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for improving signal-to-noise ratio and reducing overall bit line capacitance and area in a DRAM.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices include an array of individual memory cells for storing information. These memory cells are dynamic in that they will only hold a particular quantity of information for a short period of time. Therefore, the cells must be read and refreshed at periodic intervals. A common conventional cell configuration includes one transistor and one capacitor. The transistor is connected between a bit line and the capacitor. The transistor is gated by a word line signal. A bit of information is read from the cell to the associated bit line or written to the cell from the bit line through the transistor.
DRAM devices are very well known in the literature and are the subject of many patents. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,222,275; 6,205,044; 6,168,985; 6,084,307; 6,034,879; 6,008,084; 5,870,343; 5,864,181; 5,671,175; 5,625,234; 5,579,256; 5,534,732; 5,416,734; 5,241,497; 5,014,110; 4,970,564; 4,967,396; 4,914,502; and KR9300811, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Referring to FIG. 1, a top view of a traditional folded bit line DRAM cell arrangement 100 includes three bit line pairs 105, 110, 115 and six word lines 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, with memory cells 150 located at every other bit linexe2x80x94word line intersection. In a folded bit line architecture, along each word line direction, there is a cell connected to every other bit line. Within each bit line pair, the bit line with the cell is called the sense bit line, and the adjacent bit line without a cell is called the reference bit line. The sense bit line and adjacent reference bit line are respectively coupled to the positive and negative inputs of a differential amplifier 155. In a typical scenario, prior to activation of word line w0120, all bit lines are precharged to a voltage level Vref. Cell A 160 and cell B 165 may be assumed to have an initial voltage of Vref+xcex94V. After w0 is activated, both b0 and b1 will attain a value greater than Vref; this may be designated as Vref+xcex94Vx. If b0 remains at Vref, the voltage across the differential amplifier coupled to b0 and b0 would be Vref+xcex94Vxxe2x88x92Vref=xcex94Vx. However, because of the capacitances CA 170 and CB 175, b0 will not remain at Vref; rather, it will be Vref+xcex94Vn, due to coupling from b0 and b1. Hence, the differential voltage to the amplifier will be (Vref+xcex94Vx)xe2x88x92(Vref+xcex94Vn)=xcex94Vxxe2x88x92xcex94Vn. Thus, the differential voltage is reduced as a result of the effect of the capacitances CA and CB.
Referring to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the arrangement 100 illustrates the cross-coupling capacitances 205 between adjacent bit lines. Each bit line pair is connected to a substrate 210 via a diffusion region 215. As the number of cells in a DRAM increases, each bit line is connected to more cells, and bit line capacitance increases. As technology progresses toward DRAMs having larger information capacities, bit line capacitance of conventional designs becomes unacceptably high. Accordingly, there is a need for DRAM cell arrays having reduced bit line capacitance.
Referring to FIG. 9, a physical construction of the arrangement 100 is illustrated. A gate 905 of a transistor is connected to a substrate 910 by a gate oxide 915. A cell plate 920 is located in horizontal alignment with the gate 905, but with some minimum lateral spacing S. A bit line contact 925 connects a bit line to the a source of the transistor. A diffusion layer 930 is a drain of the transistor. As the number of cells in a DRAM increases, the cumulative effect of the minimum lateral spacings between transistor gates and cell plates causes the area of the DRAM to become unacceptably high. Accordingly, there is a need for a DRAM cell array having reduced overall area.
The present invention is intended to address the need for a DRAM device having a reduced bit line capacitance and reduced area.
In one aspect, the invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit device, including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) unit. The DRAM unit includes a substrate, a plurality of bit line pairs, a plurality of activatable word lines, a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of multiplexers, and a first interconnect layer and a second interconnect layer. Each bit line pair includes a first bit line and a second bit line. At most one word line can be activated at a time. Each bit line pair is associated with both interconnect layers. The first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair may be aligned with each other in an end-to-end arrangement. Each word line may be associated with either all of the first bit lines or all of the second bit lines, such that a first array is formed by the first bit lines and their associated word lines and a second array is formed by the second bit lines and their associated word lines. When a word line is activated, the array to which the activated word line belongs may act as a sense array, and the array to which the activated word line does not belong may act as a reference array. The device may also include an activatable dummy word line in the first array and an activatable dummy word line in the second array, and the device may then be configured to detect signal levels in a common mode.
The two interconnect layers may be metal layers, polysilicon layers, or one metal layer and one polysilicon layer. The first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair may be adjacent to each other. The first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair may be twisted at at least one point such that half of each bit line is associated with the first metal layer and half of each bit line is associated with the second metal layer. The first bit line and the second bit line within at least one bit line pair may be twisted at at least two points such that half of each bit line is associated with the first metal layer and half of each bit line is associated with the second metal layer. The DRAM unit may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.
In another aspect, a semiconductor integrated circuit device, including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) unit, is provided. The DRAM unit includes a substrate, a plurality of bit line pairs, a plurality of activatable word lines, a plurality of memory cells, and a plurality of multiplexers. Each bit line pair includes a first bit line and a second bit line. At most one word line can be activated at a time. The first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair are aligned with each other in an end-to-end arrangement. Each word line is associated with either all of the first bit lines or all of the second bit lines, such that a first array is formed by the first bit lines and their associated word lines and a second array is formed by the second bit lines and their associated word lines. When a word line is activated, the array to which the activated word line belongs acts as a sense array, and the array to which the activated word line does not belong acts as a reference array. The device may also include an activatable dummy word line in the first array and an activatable dummy word line in the second array. The device may be configured to detect signal levels in a common mode by activating the dummy word line in the reference array and detecting the signal levels differentially as compared to the dummy. The DRAM unit may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit device, including a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) unit. The DRAM unit includes a substrate and a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a transistor having a gate, a gate oxide for binding the gate to the substrate, a cell plate, and a dielectric material for insulating the cell plate from the substrate. The dielectric material has a high dielectric constant. The gate is constructed using polysilicon. The cell plate is constructed using either polysilicon or a metal conductor. In one embodiment, the cell plate is physically isolated from the gate by a minimum displacement, wherein a direction of the minimum displacement is entirely orthogonal to the substrate such that a component of the minimum displacement parallel to the substrate is substantially zero. In another embodiment, the cell plate and the gate are physically located on different vertical levels as seen from the substrate. The dielectric material may include tantalum oxide, aluminum oxide, or oxinitride. The DRAM unit may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.
In still another aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for reducing noise and overall bit line capacitance in a DRAM device. The device includes a substrate means, a plurality of pairs of bit line means, a plurality of activatable word line means, a plurality of memory cell means, and a plurality of multiplexer means. Each pair of bit line means includes a first bit line means and a second bit line means. At most one word line means can be activated at a time. The apparatus includes means for constructing the DRAM device using two separate metal layers, including a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and means for associating each pair of bit line means with both metal layers such that an equal proportion of a total length of the reference bit line means and the sense bit line means within each pair of bit line means is associated with each of the first metal layer and the second metal layer. The means for associating may include means for associating the first bit line means within each pair of bit line means with the first metal layer and means for associating the second bit line means within each pair of bit line means with the second metal layer. The apparatus may also include means for aligning the first bit line means and the second bit line means within each pair of bit line means in an end-to-end arrangement, and means for associating each word line means with either all of the first bit line means or all of the second bit line means, such that a first array is formed by the first bit line means and their associated word line means and a second array is formed by the second bit line means and their associated word line means. The device may also include an activatable dummy word line means in the first array and an activatable dummy word line means in the second array. The apparatus may also include means for detecting signal levels in a common mode.
The apparatus may include means for arranging the first bit line means and the second bit line means within each pair of bit line means so that the first bit line means is adjacent to the second bit line means. The apparatus may also include means for twisting the first bit line means and the second bit line means within each pair of bit line means at at least one point such that half of each bit line means is associated with the first metal layer and half of each bit line means is associated with the second metal layer. The apparatus may also include means for twisting the first bit line means and the second bit line means within at least one pair of bit line means at at least two points such that half of each bit line means is associated with the first metal layer and half of each bit line means is associated with the second metal layer. The DRAM device may be manufactured using either a logic process or a DRAM process.
In yet another aspect, an apparatus for reducing overall noise and bit line capacitance in a DRAM device is provided. The device includes a substrate means, a plurality of pairs of bit line means, a plurality of activatable word line means, a plurality of memory cell means, and a plurality of multiplexer means. Each pair of bit line means includes a first bit line means and a second bit line means. At most one word line means can be activated at a time. The apparatus includes means for aligning the first bit line means and the second bit line means within each pair of bit line means in an end-to-end arrangement, and means for associating each word line means with either all of the first bit line means or all of the second bit line means, such that a first array is formed by the first bit line means and their associated word line means and a second array is formed by the second bit line means and their associated word line means. The device may include an activatable dummy word line means in the first array and an activatable dummy word line means in the second array. The apparatus may include means for detecting signal levels in a common mode by detecting a signal level of the activated word line differentially as compared to the a signal level of the activate d dummy word line.
In still another aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for reducing area in a DRAM device. The DRAM device includes a substrate means and a plurality of memory cell means. Each memory cell means includes a transistor having a gate means constructed using polysilicon and a cell plate means. The apparatus includes means for arranging a gate oxide between the gate means and the substrate means, means for physically isolating the cell plate means from the gate means by a minimum displacement to prevent short circuits, and means for insulating the cell plate from the substrate using a dielectric material having a high dielectric constant. In one embodiment, a direction of the minimum displacement is entirely orthogonal to the substrate means such that a component of the minimum displacement parallel to the substrate means is substantially zero. In another embodiment, the cell plate means and the gate means are physically located on different vertical levels as seen from the substrate means. The dielectric material may include tantalum oxide, aluminum oxide, or oxinitride. The DRAM device may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.
In another aspect, a method of reducing overall noise and bit line capacitance in a logic process DRAM device is provided. The device includes a substrate, a plurality of bit line pairs, a plurality of activatable word lines, a plurality of memory cells, and a plurality of multiplexers. Each bit line pair includes a first bit line and a second bit line. At most one word line can be activated at a time. The method includes the steps of constructing the DRAM device using two separate metal layers, including a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and associating each bit line pair with both metal layers such that an equal proportion of a total length of the first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair is associated with each of the first metal layer and the second metal layer. The step of associating may include associating the first bit line within each bit line pair with the first metal layer and associating the second bit line within each bit line pair with the second metal layer. The method may also include the steps of aligning the first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair in an end-to-end arrangement, and associating each word line with either all of the first bit lines or all of the second bit lines, such that a first array is formed by the first bit lines and their associated word lines and a second array is formed by the second bit lines and their associated word lines. The device may include an activatable dummy word line in the first array and an activatable dummy word line in the second array. The method may include the step of detecting signal levels in a common mode by detecting a signal level of the activated word line differentially as compared to a signal level of the activated dummy word line.
The method may include the steps of arranging the first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair so that the first bit line is adjacent to the second bit line. The method may include the step of twisting the first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair at at least one point such that half of each bit line is associated with the first metal layer and half of each bit line is associated with the second metal layer. The method may also include the step of twisting the first bit line and the second bit line within at least one bit line pair at at least two points such that half of each bit line is associated with the first metal layer and half of each bit line is associated with the second metal layer. The DRAM device may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of reducing overall bit line capacitance in a DRAM device. The device includes a substrate, a plurality of bit line pairs, a plurality of activatable word lines, a plurality of memory cells, and a plurality of multiplexers. Each bit line pair includes a first bit line and a second bit line. At most one word line can be activated at a time. The method includes the steps of aligning the first bit line and the second bit line within each bit line pair in an end-to-end arrangement, and associating each word line with either all of the first bit lines or all of the second bit lines, such that a first array is formed by the first bit lines and their associated word lines and a second array is formed by the second bit lines and their associated word lines. The device may include an activatable dummy word line in the first array and an activatable dummy word line in the second array. The method may include the step of detecting signal levels in a common mode. The DRAM device may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.
In still another aspect, the invention provides a method of reducing area in a DRAM device. The DRAM device includes a substrate and a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a transistor having a gate constructed using polysilicon and a cell plate. The method includes the steps of arranging a gate oxide between the gate and the substrate and insulating the cell plate from the substrate using a dielectric material having a high dielectric constant. In one embodiment, the method further includes the step of physically isolating the cell plate from the gate by a minimum displacement to prevent short circuits, wherein a direction of the minimum displacement is entirely orthogonal to the substrate, such that a component of the minimum displacement parallel to the substrate is substantially zero. In another embodiment, the method further includes the steps of physically locating the gate on a first vertical level as seen from the substrate and physically locating the cell plate on a second vertical level as seen from the substrate. The dielectric material may include tantalum oxide, aluminum oxide, or oxinitride. The DRAM device may be manufactured using a logic process or a DRAM process.